Machines for folding edges of a pliable material,more particularly shoe uppers and the like



Sept. 29, 1970 A. BOCCA ETAL 3,530,521

MACHINES FOR FOLDING EDGES DE A PLIABLE MATERIAL, MORE PARTICULARLY SHOE UPPERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 26. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 29,, 1970 Filed 001;. 26. 1967 A. BOCCA ET AL MACHINES FOR FOLDING EDGES OF A PLIABLE MATERIAL, MORE PARTICULARLY SHOE UPPERS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 29., 1970 A. BOCCA ETAL MORE MACHINES FOR FOLDING EDGES OF A PLIABLE MATERIAL PARTICULARLY SHOE UPPERS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oqt. 26, 1967 w i m llrlllfdrllldallravllm Mal/A United States Patent 01 3,530,521 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 lice US. Cl. 1255.1 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for folding the edges of pliable material, in particular for shoe uppers, wherein cuts or indentations are made in correspondence of the curved outline portions of said edges by means of a blade and counter-blade assembly which engages the upper such that the blade acts on the upper in the same direction as it is folded.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a machine for processing the edges of pieces of a material in the form of a flexible sheet or plate; more particularly, it relates to the operation of folding the edges of shoe uppers, irrespective of the curvature of the edge with respect to the plane of said shoe upper. Generally, in the present-day machines for this operation, a piece of a flexible material is guided on a working plane along an abutment having an appropriate curvature, upon which a member is active which folds the edge of said flexible material and fastens it in said folded position by suitable means, such as a sewing seam or an adhesive.

It is also known that, in the case in which the curvature has its convex face directed towards the outside of the material, it is necessary to form, along the whole curved portion of the edge, a set of cuts or indentations which allow the folded edge to be formed with a curvilinear contour without exhibiting any creases or surface unevenness susceptible of seriously impairing the appearance and the qualitative features of the end product, especially when footwear and the like are involved.

The machines known heretofore utilize, to make the above mentioned cuts and/ or indentations, intermittently actuated blades, whereas said curvilinear abutment acts as a counter-blade. In other machines, a scissor-type mechanism is employed. In any case, a serious drawback is experienced in those devices, in that the blade action takes place in a direction which is opposite to the one in which the edge of the flexible material is folded, concurrently with the performance of said folding operation, or immediately therebefore, so that the edge being folded is stressed in a direction which is opposite to the folding direction. As a result, the fold thus obtained may be, in a few points, not correctly adherent to the pnderlying piece of flexible material, or, at best, it is uneven, a fact which entails unpleasant consequences from the point of view of the appearance and resistance and working life of the folded edge of flexible material, said consequences being extremely serious in the case of shoe uppers.

In order that said drawbacks may be obviated it is an object of the present invention to perform the cutting operation in a direction which is opposite to the one mentioned above, that is, to cause the blade to eflect the cutting operation by a movement which is so directed as to encourage the folding of the material. Obviously, if the cutting operation is so performed, the curvilinear resting piece cannot fulfill the function of a counter-blade.

There is, in the conventional machines, similarly to sewing machines, a presser foot, whose function is to thrust the material being processed against the working plane, by permitting its simultaneous forward movement but preventing the lifting movement of said material. Whenever a workpiece is to be withdrawn to replace it by another one, or due to any other reason, said presser foot is lifted and the desired operation is carried out, whereafter the presser foot is lowered again to engage the workpiece prior to re-starting the machine operation. In addition, especially in the machines for processing shoe uppers whose edges are to be folded, said presser foot is equipped with means for feeding the adhesive intended to glue the folded edge in position.

Utilization of said presser foot as a counter-blade has been attempted, but a further shortcoming has been ascertained, in that the presser foot level is changed as the material thickness is varied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention does away with the drawbacks enumerated above by the provision of a device for cutting or indenting edges of a flexible sheet material while this is being folded, more particularly shoe uppers and the like, said device comprising a blade which is displaceable crosswise with respect to the plane on which said flexible material is caused to advance in the machine, and a fixed contour-blade, the subject device being mechanically connected to the presser foot of said machine so as to e lifted from the material being processed to disengage the latter, simultaneously with the lifting of said presser foot, said device being actuated by the machine-driving means but independently controlled, at the operators will, said cutting device being moreover preset for effecting a out having a preselected minimum depth.

The following disclosure will be referred to shoe uppers, it being understood that the scope of this invention likewise encompasses the folding operations of any sheets of any flexible material.

A preferred embodiment will be now described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical side elevational view, partly in section, of a machine embodying the subject device.

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical detail view, partly in section, of the machine, and

FIG. 4 is a detail view, in section, taken along the lin IVIV of FIG. 3, of the blade and counter-blade assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a machine 10 for folding shoe upper edges comprises a hood 11 fastened to a bedplate 70, beneath which motive means (not shown) are located, in conjunction with the actuating controls for the several machine functions.

The machine 10 comprises a driving mainshaft 12 and a header 13. To avoid overcrowding of the drawings, the header 13 shows only the principal component parts which have an operational connection with the inventive device.

The header 13 is overhanging with respect to the working plane 14, on which a workpiece or upper 15 can slide during processing. The outer edge portion of the upper 15, intended to be folded, runs, conversely, on an abutment 16 whose upper surface has a curvature adapted to permit the subsequent edge-folding step.

The upper is engaged, during processing, by a presser foot 18, afiixed to an end 19 of a bell-crank lever 20, the latter being pivoted at 21. The other end 22 of the lever has a projecting pin 23 adapted to engage a slot 25 formed in the end 24 of a second lever 26, pivoted at 27, and whose second end 28 is vertically reciprocable within a fixed slot 29. The end 28 of the lever 26 can be vertically displaced by an appropriate driving mechanism, such as a vertical rod actuated by a pedal (not shown).

Parallel to the linkage 20-26, but in a plane situated at a lower level, a lever 30 is provided, which is pivotally rotatable at 31 and carries, at its end 32, a blade and counter-blade assembly.

From the lever 30 projects an abutment 33, in which the uppermost screw-threaded portion 34 of a pin 35 is screwed, the positions of said pin being adjustable by a nut 36. The pin 35 has a smooth shank which is allowed to slide through a bore 37 formed in a fixed part 38 of the machine 10. The free end of the pin 35 can be engaged by the lever 20. As viewed in FIG. 1, the fixed portion 38 has a projection 39 which limits the upward stroke of the lever 30. A spring 73 is fastened to the latter lever and is adapted to hold the lever 30 against the projection 39 of the fixed part 38. It will be observed from the above arrangement that the pin 35 is integral with the lever 30.

At its end 32, the lever 30 has a slot 40 in which a bolt and nut pin 42 is slidable, said pin fastening to the end 32 of the lever 30 a counter-blade 41 so that the position of the latter is adjustable either towards or away from the presser foot 18. As can be seen, the counter-blade 41 is shaped so as to engage the shoe upper 15 at the inner curvilinear surface of the fold.

To the counter-blade 41 is afiixed, by a screw 43, a U-shaped blade 44, one leg of which has a cutting edge 45, the other leg 46 having a slot 47.

As viewed in FIG. 4, the screw 43 is engaged by a pin 48 to connect the blade 44 to the counter-blade 41, a spring 49 being provided for resiliently urging the blade 44 against the counter-blade 41. The slot 47 is engaged by a pin 50, integral with a bar 51 ai'fixed at right angles to a rod 52 by conventional means, such as a screw 53. The rod 52 has, at an appropriate location, an enlarged-diameter portion 54. Said portion has a roller 55 projecting downwardly and an abutting inclined plane 56 on which rests the correspondingly frustoconical end 57 of a rod 58, said rod being vertically reciprocable in a sleeve 59 integral with the casing 11 of the machine 10. The lower end 60 of the rod 58 is pivoted to a link 61 whose opposite end is associated with a box 63 which allows for a restricted reciprocation only. In a position which should be properly calculated, the rod 61 is conventionally and linkably connected to the uppermost end of a rod 64, whose lower end is conventionally linked to a pedal (not shown).

The end 57 of the rod 58 is normally kept in engagement with the abutting inclined plane 56 by a compression coiled spring 65 which is active between the bedplate and a sleeve 71, aflixed to the bar 58.

The end 66 of the rod 52 is urged to the left, in FIG. 1, by compression spring 72, the latter being housed in a specially provided cavity formed in the fixed part of the machine. Thus, when the frustoconical end 57 is clear of its attendant seating 56, the roller 55 is held pressed against the base periphery of a cylindrical cam 67 whose circumferential thicknesses are different. Said cam is keyed to the driving mainshaft 12 of the machine 10.

It clearly appears from the foregoing that, whenever cuts or indentations are to be effected on a shoe-upper edge 15 being folded, the pedal connected to the bar 58 is depressed against the bias of the spring 65 so that the roller 55 follows the outline of the cam 67. Thus, the bar 52 will travel along a reciprocal path whose frequency and amplitude are determined by the outline of the cam 67, said motion being transferred to the blade 44 via the pin and slot connection 50, 47.

Said reciprocation, and thus the consequent performance of cuts and indentations, will last until such time as the pedal connected to the rod 64 is actuated.

It will be noted, moreover, that, as the presser foot 18 is lifted, the blade and counter-blade assembly is also lifted from the workpiece due to the action of the lever 20 on the pin 35. It is further to be noted that, as the presser foot is depressed on the workpiece 15 again, said blade and counter-blade assembly will be positioned at a level which is a function of the position of the projection 39.

Lastly, it should be observed that, in order to keep the presser foot 18 depressed, in its active position, against a workpiece 15, conventional resilient means are provided (not shown) intended to urge the lever 20 towards the position at which the foot 18 effectively presses the workpiece.

Be it understood that the scope of the present invention encompasses the performance of cutting and indenting operation adapted to encourage the folding of an edge of a flexible material being processed. Thus, all the equivalent mechanisms adapted to perform the same functions are intended as lying within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for folding the edge of a flexible material, said machine comprising a frame having a planar working surface on which a flexible material is slidable, an overhanging header member above said working surface and secured to said frame, an abutment secured adjacent said working surface and having a curvilinear surface engageable with said material to initiate folding of the edge thereof in a given direction, presser foot means supported from said header member for holding the material on said working surface, a blade and counter-blade assembly supported from said header and positioned to engage the folded edge of said material from opposite sides thereof to act thereon, said blade being pivotal to move towards said material in the same direction as folding when the blade is to act on the material, means engaging said pivotal blade to reciprocally move the same towards and away from the material, control means for actuating and deactivating the latter means, means engaging the presser foot means to periodically lift the same from the material and means coupled with the blade and counter blade assembly and with the last mentioned means to lift the blade and counter-blade assembly from the material together with the presser foot means.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means which engages the pressor foot means comprises a bellcrank lever which is driven to move said presser foot means, said means which is coupled to said last mentioned means and the blade and counterblade asembly comprising a second lever extending parallel to and beneath said first lever, and a pin secured to one of said levers and engageable with the other lever to cause synchronized movement of the blade and counter-blade assembly with the presser foot means.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said pin is secured to the second lever and is axially slidable in said header member to engage said bell-crank lever and a spring means acting on said second lever to urge the same to a position in which the blade and counter-blade assembly engages said folded edge of the material.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising means resiliently urging the blade and counter-blade of said assembly against one another with a controlled pressure force.

5. A machine for folding the edge of a flexible material, said machine comprising a frame having a planar working surface on which a flexible material is slidable, an overhanging header member above said working surface and secured to said frame, an abutment secured adjacent said (working surface and having a curvilinear surface engageable with said material to initiate folding of the edge thereof in a given direction, presser foot means supported from said header member for holding the material on said working surface, a blade and counter-blade assembly supported from said header and positioned to engage the folded edge of said material from opposite sides thereof to act thereon, said blade being pivotal to move towards said material in the same direction as folding when the blade is to act on the material, means engaging said pivotal blade to reciprocally move the same towards and away from the material, control means for actuating and deactivating the latter means, and means for adjusting the position of the blade and counter-blade assembly to control the cutting depth thereof on the material.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 comprising means resiliently urging the blade and counter-blade of said assembly against one another with a controlled pressure force.

7. A machine for folding the edge of a flexible material, said machine comprising a frame having a planar working sunface on which a flexible material is slidable, an overhanging header member above said working surface and secured to said frame, an abutment secured adjacent said working surface and having a curvilinear surface engageable with said material to initiate folding of the edge thereof in a given direction, presser foot means supported from said header member for holding the material on said working surface, a blade and counter-blade assembly supported from said header and positioned to engage the folded edge of said material from opposite sides thereof to act thereon, said blade being pivotal to move towards said material in the same direction as folding when the blade is to act on the material, means engaging said pivotal blade to reciprocally move the same towards and away from the material, and control means for actuating and deactivating the latter means, said means for reciprocally moving the blade towards and away from the material comprising a rotably driven cylindricl cam, said cam having a peripheral portion with different axial thicknesses, and rod means coupled to said blade and including follower means engageable with said peripheral portion of the cam for producing reciprocal movement of the rod means as the cam rotates.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7 comprising means resiliently urging the blade and counter-blade of said assembly against one another with a controlled pressure force.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein said control means comprises a pedal actuated element adapted for engaging said rod means to selectively disengage said follower means and cam means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,304,472 5/1919 Glass 1255.1 2,270,891 1/ 1942 NeWHall 12-55.1 2,712,662 7/1955 Naugler 1255.1 1,740,409 12/1929 Ridderstrom 12-20 X PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

